Now

               In 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 quoted below, I see the word “now” in a usage that denotes urgency.  We are warned that we should NEVER be in a place of having “…receive[d] not the grace of God in vain.”

               In order for us to understand this phrase in context, I have taken the liberty to quote J. Vernon McGee.  “To receive His great goodness and to rejoice in the salvation of the grace of God and yet live carnal, worldly lives is what it means to receive the grace of God in vain.”

               This is likely what Paul was referring to in these verses.  We as Christians must “walk a different walk” than a carnal, worldly person.  God helps each of us and we accept all that He gives; yet we are unwilling to honour Him.

               Our scripture tells us that “now is the accepted time.”  (Regardless of individual thought,) “now” is not tomorrow or the next day, or some day down the road.  If we put off the “now” it will never happen, just like tomorrow never comes.

               We as individuals must realize that before we accepted Jesus, we were sinners.  Romans 3:23,   “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”  Regardless of what we have become, we are still sinners, and we will always be sinners as long as we reside here on earth.  It is the nature given by (Not Mother Nature) but Adam, who sinned and consequently passed it on to us.  With this knowledge, we find the consequence of sin:

Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death;..

What is this “death?”  It is not our physical bodily death.  It is death of the soul, in total separation from God and His Son Jesus.   It is an everlasting death abiding in hell.

John 3:36  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Yet, we can know that eternal life is for the asking.

Romans 10:9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

God teaches us through Paul, if you (reader) will confess to others (including yourself) that you do believe that God has raised Jesus from the grave, God will save you eternally.

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

That everlasting life is an eternal life.  Dear reader, there are no variations of those words which show that everlasting is shorter than eternal.  Accept Him “now.”                                                                                             

Bro. John R. E Chastain

2 Corinthians 6:1-2  We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.  2  (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)